Device for separating liquids of different specific gravities



March 27, 1928.

E. W. GREEN DEVICE FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES 2 sne'etsheet 1 Filed June 8. 1926 March 27, 1928.

E. W. GREEN DEVICE FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES Filed June 8. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 27, 1.928.

EDWARD WILL-IAMGREEN.. F LONDON. ENGLAND., Y

Applicationled June f8, 1926, Serial yNo. -114,422,-andlnV Great'BrtanJuneM, v1925.

@his inventionrela-tes toan improved defvice for separating 'liquids of different specificgravities and has for itsobjectithe pro- 'vision Vtof-means =whereby the lseparated l liquidscan lbe ldelivered #from vseparate con- I V:trunk (Z is providedfwith a Ath-ird'fsicle wall g,

dui-ts in ya simple although 'n'onautomatic "mannen f f f 'This linvention" consists' off an improved lde- "vice for separating liquids of 'different spe- 'cie z'grafvfitiesfcomprising 4a tank for Ve'olle'etfingf'the separated liquids into strata means for introducing the admix'edliquids into the liquids in the *tank at a'low velocity and `without shock; means forautomatically de- "livering the )lower lpart of Vthe liquidofv heavier specic gravity fto -the 'exterior of the apparatus after aI 4predeter-r`nvin-ed @volume yhas"accumula-,ted iin-said vtank-and meansl nwherebythe rstraturnfof liquid ofylig'hter specific *gravity `can 'bei withdrawn from the surface *of theV i'liquid of heavier specic l'gravityas and when required.

Figlf is aside `elevation of l`one form of separator constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of Fig. 1 taken on the line 2-2 of that ligure and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the separator illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings which illustrate a separator particularly suited for dealing with bilge water a is a tank of suitable size and convenient shape; in the upper part of the tank a two channels b b are formed by the sloping partitions c c which are perforated, said perforations being of such size and arrangement as will allow the bilge water or the constituent parts thereof to pass therethrough at the requisite rate.

A vertical trunk CZ is formed of two side walls e and f and two end walls and is sup'- ported with its lower end a short distance above the floor a of the tank a; in some cases the lower parts of the walls e and f may be angularly disposed so as to form al flared inlet if necessary.

' 50 The side wall f is continued up to the top of the tank but the wall e is terminated somewhat below this level as its upper edge e is to act as a weir over which the separated water is to be discharged. In the construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the

with a nati-or screwed housinggwmount'ed on bottom g and Ythenecessaryiend'-Walls=to .form a chamber L, said `iside 'walllg f'having .anaperture :g2 and yconduit hf lwhich latter fcommunicates' to.` theexterior of the tank at l In proximity with the trunk Z a''d'isplaee` able Strunk 'z is arranged the' lower i part f 'of 4said trunk z' having fa fleXiblelconduit-confnected' thereto and arranged sof-as' to deliver l the collected Voil from' the ftrunk z'ito the eX- lterior of the 'tank a.

.Iofenable the ltrunkf i to 'be vmoved-iupwards` and downwards? soifthat itsupper edge i shall be suitably located relative to-Ithe surface fof the oil stratum a screw v0 'having a hand wheelfp' is provided; "'lh'elscrew oV `is -journalledina bracke'it'o-imounted fon-ithe l fixed structure of "'thejtank ,afiantlfensgages the trunk z'.

The trunk z' is guided to move in a vertical Vdirection by the bands al which are carried on the structure of thetrunk d.

The bilge water to be separated is supplied through the pipe Z, bends m m and nozzles n n air vents n nbeing provided to prevent syphoning back under any conditions.

As separators for handling bilge water are invariably mounted on ships or other floating structures'during use care has to be taken to avoid any material disturbance in i Vthe integrity of functioning due to the rolling and pitching. of the ship or the like and to restrain the free motion of the surface of the fluid.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings itv will be noted that the upper edge 77 of the trunk v1 and the edge c of the Wall e are arranged as near to the geometrical centre of the tank a as possible and a cover r having an aperture r is provided on the tank a.

In operation, assuming the tank a is full of water, the bilge water supplied to the pipe Z is delivered into the channels Z1 b byy the nozzles n n; partial separation of the uids takes place in the channels b' b and the water with a small quantity of oil passes downwards through the perforated sloping partitions o slowly and without shock into l the body of the fluid in the tank a, whilst the oil floating on the surface of the fluid in the channels b Z) with a small quantity of water passes outwards through the perforated sloping partitions c 0 and Jforms a layer of oil or unites with a layer of oil already formed the completion of the separation taking place in the tank a.

As bilge water is supplied to the apparatus the separated water from the lower part of the tank w passes upwards through the trunk e and is discharged over the edge e into the chamber it; from the chamber it the water is conducted to the exterior of the apparatus by the conduit It. Y

The displaceable trunk z' may he located so that the separated oil continuously flows over its upper edge t thereby maintaining the thickness of the oil stratum constant or the trunk i may be raised and the oil allowed to accumulate until it is convenient or absolutely necessary to discharge it when the trunk z' is lowered, by suitably rotating the hand wheel p, so that oil can iiow over the edge i into the trunk and from thence to the exterior of the tank a through the conduit c.

Two test cocks as may be provided for ascertaining the depth of the oil stratum in the tank a and thereby guide the operator in manipulating the trunk i.

vIt is convenient when an apparatus of large size is to be employed for handling the oily water of ships in harbours, docks and the like to construct the device as a floating structure.

I claim f' An improved device for separating liquids of different speciiic gravities having'in com-k bination a tank, perforated distributing troughs or channels for introducing the admiXed liquids into the liquids in the tank at a low velocity and without shock, an open ended trunk the lower end of which is in communication with the liquid of heavy specific gravity collected in the lower part of the tank, a partition in said trunk having an upper edge arranged to act as a discharge weir for the liquid of heavy specific gravity, a conduit for conveying the liquid of heavy speciiic gravityy discharged over the' weir to the exterior of the tank, a vertically displaceable trunk the upper end of which is arranged to act as a discharge Weir for the liquid of lighter specific gravity, a HeXible conduit for conveying the liquid of lighter speciiic gravity from the last. named trunk to the exterior of the tank,r and mechanical means for' raising and lowering the last named trunk relative to ,the iirst named trunk, the said trunks being located centrally in said tank so asto reduce effects duev to tilting of the tank as much as possible.

EDWARD wiLLiAM GREEN. 

